PCFormat Forum Archive

I feel truly blessed that MS has gone out of it's way to call me and tell me that there is malware running on my computer and offering to help me remove it.

Al the way from California, nogal. And a quick check showed that it was midnight there. Ignore for a moment the caller's accent which points more towards India - we are a global village, no?

Serious version.The damn pillocks have started on South Africa.

they seem to be going through the phone book, even in a small place like klerksdorp i know of 5 people who have been phoned and its always on the landline, i think the best way to avoid this scam is not to have a landline

Yep, ain't Skype wonderful. I had the guy screaming at me because I couldn't hear him over the bad line.

He finally promised to call back and terminated the call. Wish I had a VM handy so I could play a bit, sounds like fun. sigh

They called me about three times last week. A friend a couple of months back got scammed out of R3k by the same crowd.

He fell for it? How'd they go about it?

She fell for it. Her husband wasn't too terribly impressed.

I don't know the full transaction details. They told her that she had a virus and they could sell her some software to scan and clean it. She gave them her credit card number, and it was R3k later before her husband stopped the charges. Thankfully, he was notified by SMS that charges were going off.

Oh I would love to have them phone me. Why does no one ever phone me?

A friend of mine got phoned and played along ...so to speak. The call ended about 15minutes in when he asked if the computer needs to be on for it to do anything.

Lulz, I just got another call from these guys, and when I told them that I was aware it's a scam and would not fall for it, the dude swore at me and hung up.

I'd love for them to phone me. Once strung a guy along over multiple emails with the "need you help to transfer funds" scam. Small pay-off, but better than nothing.

I like your idea Kalster.

They've called me a couple of times but I just hang up the second I realize who it is.

Oh I remember now!

This must be a HUGE racket they have running here!

StarBound wrote:A friend of mine got phoned and played along ...so to speak. The call ended about 15minutes in when he asked if the computer needs to be on for it to do anything.

Bahaha! Well done!

Do they call on cell or land line?

DeathStrike wrote:Do they call on cell or land line?

Only landline for me so far.

Landline in my case as well. Phonebook gives them a number and a surname.
And they seem to be working an area at a a time. I wonder if they're using Telkom's online phonebook, or rather a good old paper copy?

Thank goodness my landlines aren't in the phonebook Though I would possibly have a bit of fun with them. I do that with call centre agents lately. Make them give me their whole story and before they get to the end - I say I have to go and they must call me in two weeks time. They never do

Tribble wrote:Thank goodness my landlines aren't in the phonebook Though I would possibly have a bit of fun with them. I do that with call centre agents lately. Make them give me their whole story and before they get to the end - I say I have to go and they must call me in two weeks time. They never do

I received the call on an unlisted landline number.

So there is hope then

Stuart wrote:

Tribble wrote:Thank goodness my landlines aren't in the phonebook Though I would possibly have a bit of fun with them. I do that with call centre agents lately. Make them give me their whole story and before they get to the end - I say I have to go and they must call me in two weeks time. They never do

I received the call on an unlisted landline number.

Which begs the question - HOW?

It is on some database somewhere no doubt. I have my "telkom unlisted" numbers listed with most other companies I deal with. You know - when they ask for Office: Home: Cell: So they will find me somehow ....